Despite fears and concerns by residents who live on the perimeter of the Pinewood Country Club golf course, it looks like the new retention pond built between the 14th and 15th holes is a big success, according to club and city officials.

When the $250,000 project was started in July, homeowners with the Slidell Country Club Estates Homeowners Association were alarmed by the possibility of flooding to their houses.

The residents were not against the 7-feet deep pond designed to hold 2.5 million gallons of rainwater. The purpose of the pool is to increase drainage in the area by holding rainwater and then slowly releasing it into the W14 Canal that runs behind the golf course.

The new retention pond at Pinewood Country Club between the 14th and 15th has been completed, and club officials are still growing grass on the fairways. (Staff Photo by Erik Sanzenbach)

What concerned them was the piles of dirt that contractors had dug out that had been piled up outside their houses.

Homeowners were concerned the dirt would be used to elevate the golf course, which would cause rainwater to flow into their backyards and homes.

The homeowners met with city and club officials in July. Pinewood told residents the piles of dirt would be used to change the architecture of the course, but not elevate it.

More bunkers and small hills would be added to the course, and the pond would be built at a lower level than the homes so that all water would flow into the pond, one of five retention ponds on the course.

The city wanted to do it because it was inexpensive. The club donated the land to the city. After it was built with city money, the club would maintain the pond.

Club officials said the pond was needed because they need the water to irrigate the course, which needs 150 gallons of water daily.

Still, residents were not convinced. After the pond was finished in late August, another meeting was held last week, and Pinewood golf pro James Lights showed the homeowners association what had been done. The piles of dirt had disappeared, transformed into gently sloping hills and bunkers. More catch basins had been built to transfer water to the ponds. Also, as planned the pond was at a lower level than the surrounding houses.

Barbara Parris, president of the Slidell Country Club Estates Homeowners Association, said the meeting went well and she had not gotten any complaints or phone calls about the pond.

“I hope everybody’s apprehensions are allayed,” Parris said.

She lives right across from the new pond and said the water level in the pond is very low.

District G Councilman Bill Borchert, who represents residents near Pinewood, is optimistic about the final meeting.

“A majority of people liked the idea, but some are still worried,” Borchert said.

Teresa Stanley is not totally convinced. She admits there has been no flooding of homes or streets, but she wants a real test to prove all the work was successful.

“I’m waiting for a major event to see if it works,” Stanley said. “Just wait and see.”

But according to Lights, that event has already occurred, and the course passed with flying colors. That event was Hurricane Gustav that blew through Slidell in early September.

Gustav dumped 7 inches of rain on the area, and there was no street or house flooding because of the retention ponds.

“The ponds did not even fill up. It worked tremendously,” Lights said. He said the ponds were emptied several days before Gustav made landfall to ensure they would not overflow. All together, the ponds retain 20 million gallons of rainwater.

In fact, if it weren’t for the retention pond system, the W14 Canal might have posed more of a threat to the area. Because the canal is narrow near the golf course, it quickly filled up with water and overflowed its banks. Lights said a valve that prevents backflow of water into the ponds did not work properly. Because of that problem, water in the W14 flowed into the ponds and eased the overflowing in the canal, which protected people living farther south. Even with the extra water, the ponds did not completely fill up. Lights said the club’s maintenance shed took water, but none went into anybody’s backyard, because the course and the ponds are lower than the houses.

Lights doesn’t understand all the criticism and said it is not in the club’s interest to allow the flooding of homes. The homeowners are club members, and not protecting them would cut into the club’s revenue.

“The criticism was unwarranted,” Lights said. “Why would we endanger those houses?”

The new retention pond is the last phase of a project that was started by the city back in 1995 when 17 inches of rain flooded a lot of houses near the golf course. The city eventually built five retention ponds all connected together by pipes and valves. Lights wants the project to continue to where the water in the streets surrounding the course would be diverted to the ponds for irrigation use.

“We need all the water we can get to keep things green,” Lights said.

In fact, getting the 14th and 15th fairways green is all that is left to finishing the current project. Depending on how fast the grass grows back, Lights estimates the two holes will be back to par by January. Currently, golfers can play on the holes, but they are very short, said Lighter, and par three. But that is temporary.

He said the extra water from the new pond has been good for the course. It keeps the place irrigated and keeps water out of resident’s homes.

“It really is a win-win for everybody,” Lights said. “Flooding is decreased, we get much-needed water, and the city improves drainage. The whole course is in great shape.”